And the Soul Felt Its Worth

A few months ago, the Holy Spirit brought these words into my heart… “And the soul felt its worth.”

I wondered, “why this line from a Christmas carol?”

But as we have been unboxing the hope, peace, joy and love of Christmas, we peal back layers of distracting activity to reveal the epicenter, the true center of our hope, peace, joy, and love. This carol brings it home.

What happened on the night of our dear Savior’s birth changed the world. This unwrapped gift of God who came to live among us in human form

• sparked hope in the hearts of people waiting for change,

• brought immeasurable peace through promises fulfilled and joy at the possibilities ahead, and

• began to reveal the magnitude and depth of God’s love for the world in a new way.

O Holy Night was a poem written in 1847 by a Frenchman named Placide Cappeau and put to music by his friend. In 1857, John Dwight Sullivan, an abolitionist, was so moved by the lyrics that he introduced the hymn to churches in the northern US and it slowly spread the message of freedom, though the gift of Christ.

· This song declared the worth of all humanity; the value of all people came into focus on that night long ago in this little baby boy.

Listen to the words:

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining.

· This was a cosmic event; all the heavens were a buzz.

It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

· People were trapped in the tangles of the world, its busyness and demands; its hurtfulness, pride, and prejudice; its injustices, bullying, and divisive ways.

· People were yearning for something, grasping at everything to fill their neediness; yet still pining…yearning

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

· The long-awaited Messiah, the Savior had come. Born not to or among the powerful, but in the outskirts.

· He was revealed to regular people like you and me.

o We may not have any status among human beings, but God shows up in our lives in unexpected ways and may call on us to share the good news, whoever we are and wherever we may be.

o Imagine the shepherds getting the news from the angels and finding the baby wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger as promised!

o Imagine Mary and Joseph holding this precious, promised holy child and marveling at what the shepherds shared. The shepherds from way out in the dark field came with excited voices telling everyone what they were told about this Child, and everyone was amazed. They came confirming what Mary and Joseph had been told by their visits from angels.

o No wonder Mary treasured the words and pondered them in her heart.

They were experiencing a thrill of hope.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

· This was the dawning of a new day. Not just a baby being born, but a revelation of the value God places on our humanity.

God has valued humankind from our creation.

Gen 1:27 tells us

“God created humankind in [God’s] image.”

Psalm 8:3-9 – The psalmist marvels at God’s actions.

Psalm 8:3–9 NRSV. David says:

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, [a little lower than yourself] and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;

· The psalmist is amazed that God cares for us so immensely, that God exalts humankind to such a place of honor, especially when human beings are prone to mistreat and diminish the value of one another.

· The birth of the Christ Child, when God became flesh, reminds us of our worth!

o We celebrate the birth of Christ because God loved the world so much that he came to be with us in human form.

o We celebrate because God gave us – and continues to give us – worth. Value!

o God showed up and smiled on lives with infinite grace and mercy.

• So today, we must not diminish our worth to the value of presents under a tree or in an electronic box, or any limiting container.

• The presence of God with us reveals our true worth—our value in the eyes and heart of God.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angels’ voices…

· How can we not be humbled by the birth of Christ?!

o God offered himself in the form of a child to be embraced and loved.

o God offers us the unpretentious, unconditional love of a newborn baby. We simply must receive this most precious gift.

o When we embrace the gift of God, the gift keeps opening us to even more of God’s gifts to receive and give to one another.

...Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother.

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

o God is impartial; everyone has sacred worth. All of us.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

How can we help but praise His holy name when our soul feels its worth?!

On this Holy night and beyond, may

o your soul feels its worth and may you have an even greater, deeper reason to celebrate this Christmas Season!

o Like Mary, may you treasure these words and ponder them in your heart and

o Like the shepherds go forth glorifying and praising God!

May it be so. Let us pray.